Criminal Law

• Criminal Defense
  Morgan graduated with a Bachelor of Arts as Magna Cum Laude from West Virginia University with a major in Criminology and a minor in Psychology in 2017 and recently graduated with her Masters of Legal Studies with an emphasis in Criminal Law from West Virginia University in 2021.
• Assault

Business and Corporate Law

• Business Disputes
  McDowall Cotter is accustomed to representing parties on either end of a contractual dispute. Whether you are suing someone for breach of contract or being sued for same, we can help you achieve a favorable resolution. If you are in the San Francisco Peninsula, (San Mateo, Palo Alto, Redwood City, Foster City, Burlingame, Mountain View...), South Bay (San Jose, Sunnyvale, Santa Clara...), Alameda County (Oakland, Alameda, Berkeley, Pleasanton...) and would require more information on contract disputes, our highly knowledgeable lawyers are here to help you and answer any questions.
• Limited Liability Companies
  And yet people do establish businesses. They form corporations and partnerships and limited liability companies, and many of them even foresee the day when their business, or at least their participation in it, will change or come to an end. Many of these people develop succession plans and exit strategies, and we at McDowall Cotter, a San Mateo based law firm, are here to help them.
• Trade Secrets

Employment Law

• Wrongful Termination
  Our experienced attorneys at McDowall Cotter protect people on both sides of the employment equation. Employees benefit from rules that guard against discrimination, harassment, and wrongful termination, while ensuring a safe workplace, adequate breaks, and family and medical leave. Employers benefit from a clear set of guidelines, which if understood and followed conscientiously, shield them from the loss of assets that can occur when employees or ex-employees bring a lawsuit.
• Employment Litigation
  Perhaps the best way for an employer in the state of California to avoid employment disputes (and the loss of assets that can accompany them) is to possess and abide by an employment handbook whose rules and regulations are consistent with those of the state’s labor code and the federal statutes that govern employer/employee relations.

Property Law

• Real Estate Litigation
• Premises Liability
• Construction Litigation
  Jennifer Emmaneel is a civil defense trial attorney with extensive experience in the areas of public entity representation,  trust and estate litigation, complex litigation, construction defect disputes, business and personal injury litigation, appellate work, and partition referee representation.

Health Law

• Personal Injury
  As a trial attorney, David provides defense litigation in the areas of Trusts and Will Disputes Employment, Breach of Contract, Personal Injury Defense (CGL, Homeowners, Automobile policies), and Public Entity Defense (Dangerous Condition, Policy Officer Liability).
• Medical Malpractice
  Jazz has previously served as a Legal Assistant/Paralegal for an award-winning personal injury firm in Berkeley, CA. He has experience dealing with car accident, truck accident, traumatic brain injury, premises liability/slip & fall, pedestrian accident, motorcycle accident, medical malpractice, assault, civil defense, family law and insurance bad faith types of cases in addition to other tort law matters. He has assisted in preparing multiple cases for trial. Jazz graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology with an emphasis in Exercise and Movement Science from San Francisco State University.
• Auto Accidents
• Dog Bites
  Over time, our litigation services evolved to include defense litigation for individuals, small businesses, start-ups, contractors, corporations, public entities and their employees, and non-profits. We have represented plaintiffs and defendants clients against PG&E San Mateo Fire, dog bites cases, boundary disputes, employment matters and more all over the San Francisco Peninsula and farther.

Trusts and Estates

• Estate Planning
  Martha Brosnan joined McDowall Cotter in December 2020. Since then, Martha assisted clients as a Client Services Coordinator, Legal Assistant, and currently supports our attorneys as a Paralegal. She looks forward to helping clients accomplish their estate planning goals
• Wills
  The will (or last will and testament, as it is traditionally called) is a time-honored legal instrument that gives you varying degrees of control over your assets after you die. It can be fairly straightforward and inexpensive to develop, and it’s amendable, even revocable, during your lifetime. One disadvantage of the will is that it is usually subject to probate.
• Trusts
  Alexandra is currently supporting the attorneys in handling the Trust Administration and Probate process. Her attention to detail, exemplary planning and organizational skills make her an invaluable member here at McDowall Cotter.
• Power of Attorney
  These exemptions apply to US citizens and resident aliens in San Mateo County. So, if your thoughts about estate planning include gifts to others this year, feel free to contact the lawyers at McDowall Cotter for further information about lifetime gifting strategies through revocable living trusts, wills, charitable remainder trusts, and other estate planning techniques. We can also assist with lifetime estate planning through the use of Advance Healthcare Directives and Powers of Attorney for Finances.
• Probate
  M.B.A. degree from the Seattle University School of Law and the Albers School of Business and Economics in 2008.  She became certified by the State Bar of California as a Specialist in Estate Planning, Trust & Probate Law in 2016. She is an active member of the State Bar of California and the Washington State Bar Association.

Finance Law

• Bankruptcy
• Tax Law